What's a typical day like for a dietitian?

Thank you for taking the time to talk on Tuesday.  I am a recent graduate from Indiana University and has recently joined the IT consulting profession in Cincinnati. Due to my current work experience and a strong interest in dietetics I am considering going back to school to become a dietitian. Therefore, I wanted to reach out to you to ask about your experience in this profession and would appreciate your advice on the following questions:

 

What is an average day for you like?

At the hospital, it is very busy.  The first thing I do is go through admissions, discharges and transfers then make a list of patients I need to see.  I cover the MICU (medical intensive care unit) and SICU (surgical intensive care unit).  I see patients that have had major surgery or are on life support due to respiratory infections or disease.   I may also see patients with acute renal failure, liver disease, gastrointestinal bleeding or acute heart attacks.

With consulting, I could be at the doctor's office I rent space from seeing individual patients or at a company working a health fair or doing a lecture.  Or, I may be at home making invoices, handouts or lectures.  My days vary quite a bit with consulting.  I could also be at Kroger doing a grocery store tour.

What is your interaction like with patients/clients on a day-to-day basis?

At the VA, I talk to patients about their diets and see how they are eating, order supplements and write progress notes.  If the patients cannot speak for themselves, I talk w/family members, nurses, MDs or other staff.  I spend a fair amount of time charting on the computer.

From your Linkedin profile, I understand you have experience in a hosptial setting, what was the drive for you to start your own practice?

I needed some variety in my career and was interested in wellness.  I like to teach and write, so the business is a good fit for me.

How do the two settings compare?

I have a set schedule with the hospital, I make my own hours (more or less) with consulting.

The hospital is hectic and I see sick people, the business is more laid back and I see healthy people.

I have more variety w/my business than the hospital, though the VA is a challenging and interesting place to work.

At the hospital, I have co-workers whereas my business, I am on my own.

What type of personality do you see in people who are successful in this field?

You need to be confident and like to work with people.  You have to enjoy reading and understand a lot of science and consumer interests.  In business, you need to network.  There is a lot of customer service in both positions.  Provide more than is expected of you!

And lastely, what do you most enjoy about your job, and what are some of the drawbacks of it?

I love teaching patients about healthy eating and seeing people get better, lose weight, etc.  The drawback of a hospital setting is that it never closes- so you have to work around holidays, etc.  I enjoy working with other medical personnel (speech therapists, RNs, doctors, etc).  I also get to teach interns at the VA.